PMO Relationships

PMO Relationships

A successful PMO cannot simply impose a methodology, standards, and tools upon project managers. The PMO manager must actively develop good relationships with project managers and all other stakeholders within the organization. They must also ensure effective communication, so that all stakeholders recognize that the PMO is beneficial.

This section introduces the appropriate relationship between the PMO and each of the stakeholders within the organization.

Relationship with Sponsor

The PMO reports directly to the PMO Sponsor. The PMO and the Sponsor work closely together to define the role of the PMO and to ensure that it provides maximum benefit to the organization. This work leads to the creation of the PMO Charter

Ideally, the PMO Sponsor will be a senior executive of the organization that the PMO serves. If the PMO serves an entire company, this would be the CEO. When the PMO Sponsor does not oversee the entire organization, this can create difficulty in getting executives and managers in other areas of the company, not under the direct control of the Sponsor, to accept the authority of the PMO.

In operation, the PMO Manager is responsible for ensuring that the PMO fulfills the mission defined in its charter and adds the required level of value to the organization. The PMO Manager reports directly to the PMO Sponsor.